


Coup d'Etat

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [63]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 20:21:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7478622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(January - September 2017) The Washington Establishment -- and VIPER -- don't take kindly at all to the first months of the Hawkins administration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coup d'Etat

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings** : language, politics, conspiracy theories, nuclear events, several extremely-messy and epic deaths
> 
> * * *
> 
> #### Dramatis Personae:
> 
> **heroes**
> 
>   * Julie Dormyer Hawkins (AKA Ladyhawk), 45th President of the United States, disgustingly-powerful ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce), First Gentleman and Science Advisor to the President, disgustingly-powerful power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
>   * Shina Arikawa, Social Co-ordinator for the President
>   * Daniel James 'DJ' Johnson (AKA Golden Avenger II), retired superhero, Vice-President of the United States
>   * GEN Colleen Dewey (AKA Victory), USAF, retired superheroine and astronaut, commander of USSTRATCOM, DJ's wife
> 

> 
> **villains**
> 
>   * Sir Edgar Lancelyn Essec, Supreme Serpent of VIPER
>   * Gen. Monroe McAdams, USAF, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, deep-cover VIPER agent
>   * Clifford Ackerman, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, VIPER mole
>   * Heather McGowrie (AKA Cateran), mutant brick and immortal brigand
>   * Kristen Griswold (AKA Photon), retired astronaut and energy elemental
>   * Darkstar, enigmatic gravitic-energy projector
> 

> 
> **other**
> 
>   * Rev. David Kayami (AKA Grandfather), Officiating pastor at the 2017 Presidential Inaugaration, disgustingly-powerful Navajo-themed supermage/cleric
>   * Theodore Jameson, Jr. (AKA Ranger), Director-General of UNTIL, disgustingly-powerful speedster
>   * Mark Whitaker (AKA Nighthawk), martial artist/vigilante
>   * MGEN Ron Malcolm, USA, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division
>   * Nathan Hawkins (AKA Relativity), Executive Vice President of ProStar, speedster
>   * Jacqueline 'Jackie' Drake (AKA Arachne), Vice President of Research and Development for ProStar, mutant martial artist/gadgeteer
>   * Elisabeth Marter, Head of Domestic Staff, Dormyer Manor
>   * Ian Sladen, Head of Grounds Crew, Dormyer Manor
>   * Trevor Smythe, UNTIL agent
>   * Tyrone Williams (AKA Smiley), leader of the President's Secret Service detail
>   * Ralph Hendricks (AKA Curly), member of the President's Secret Service detail
>   * Jason Kayami (AKA Ghostbane), retired superhero, member of the President's Secret Service detail
>   * Sofia Guiterrez, member of the Vice President's Secret Service detail
> 

> 
> **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1** : Telepathy is denoted by (( )), internal monologue by [[ ]]
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 2** : Colleen Dewey commanded the 1992 Space Shuttle mission that serviced PRIMUS' GRIDIRON satellite (STS-52), as referenced in 'Ghosts from the Past'. Kristen Griswold was a Mission Specialist on that flight.
> 
> * * *

**PROLOGUE** : West Steps, Capitol Building, Washington DC. Noon, 1/20/2017

(The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court stands in front of a cluster of microphones, holding a bible and facing Julie 'Ladyhawk' Hawkins. Hundreds of thousands of people fill the eastern end of the National Mall)

 **Chief Justice** : "Ma'am, are you prepared to take the Constitutional Oath?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I am."

 **Chief Justice** : "Then please place your left hand on the Bible, raise your right hand, and repeat after me..."

(beat, while Julie does these things)

 **Chief Justice** (continuing): "I, Julia Dormyer Hawkins, do solemnly swear."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I, Julia Dormyer Hawkins, do solemnly swear..."

 **Chief Justice** : "That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States."

 **Ladyhawk** : "That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States..."

 **Chief Justice** : "And will, to the best of my ability."

 **Ladyhawk** : "And will, to the best of my ability..."

 **Chief Justice** : "Preserve, protect, and defend."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Preserve, protect, and defend..."

 **Chief Justice** : "The Constitution of the United States."

 **Ladyhawk** : "The Constitution of the United States..."

 **Chief Justice** : "So help you God."

 **Ladyhawk** (voice deepening): "So help me God."

(applause starts on the platform and across the eastern end of the Mall)

 **Chief Justice** : "May I congratulate you, Madam President?"

(Julie smiles and shakes his hand. As the applause continues, the Chief Justice steps back to allow space for Bob 'Starforce' Hawkins to step forward and kiss her)

(long pause. If anything, the cheering is louder)

 **Ladyhawk** (breaking for air): "Nerd-boy?"

 **Starforce** : "Yes, Ninjette?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I have a speech to give."

 **Starforce** (smiling): "Sorry."

 **Ladyhawk** (sultry): "No, you're not." (beat, smiling) "Go sit down."

(Bob chuckles and takes the family Bible from the Chief Justice with a nod of thanks. He sits down in the middle of the first row next to officiating minister David 'Grandfather' Kayami, smiles, and pumps his eyebrows)

 **Grandfather** : ((behave))

 **Starforce** : ((can't help myself. Last time I was at an inaugaral I was freezing my butt off in a parade staging area with the rest of the Purdue Glee Club. Heard one out of every five words or so of Reagan's address))

 **Grandfather** : ((last time I was at an inaugaral I was between the Capitol and the Art Museum over to the right))

 **Starforce** : ((how long ago?))

 **Grandfather** : ((1961))

 **Starforce** : ((oh)) (beat, lightning calculator mode) ((Oh!))

 **Grandfather** : ((yes, JFK)) (beat) ((now hush. I want to hear the new President speak))

 **Starforce** : ((shutting up now))

* * *

****(excerpt from "The Eagle and the Snake: The Origins of World War VIPER" by Lucius Seger [2032, Amazon Online Press])

"...and so, the pieces were finally in place. A superheroine whose identity was forged in the crucible of fighting VIPER for over three decades sat in the Oval Office, survivor of the most incredible Presidential campaign in American history. An inexplicably-immortal scion of British nobility sat in his bunker underneath the Mbang Range of Western Africa, his hands on the strings that controlled the American government Julie Dormyer Hawkins had supposedly been elected to lead. Seven billion lives hung in the balance worldwide. All that was left was for the actors to play the roles into which history had cast them..."

* * *

/* opening credits montage of this story (which would be the first months of the Hawkins Administration) takes place to [Viva la Vida](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE) by Coldplay */

* * *

(The Pentagon, Arlington, VA. One week after Julie's inaugaration)

(USAF General Monroe McAdams, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is walking through the daily bustle of the Pentagon with Julie. Julie's Secret Service detail follows at a discreet distance)

 **McAdams** : "Is there any word on when we can expect a new Defense Secretary?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "That will depend on Congress deciding to stop holding my Cabinet picks hostage until I reopen the IRS."

 **McAdams** : "Look on the bright side. It's the first time they've agreed on ANYTHING in the better part of a generation!"

(in spite of herself, Julie chuckles)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Were your people afraid I'd do the same thing here that I did to the IRS?"

 **McAdams** : "Some. Even moreso when you gave the BATF the same treatment the next day."

 **Ladyhawk** : "They both had it coming."

(beat while they continue walking)

 **McAdams** : "In happier news, you have no idea what it's done to morale around here to have a President who is nowhere near as hostile to the military as your predecessor."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I prefer to think of myself as pro-military. Especially after we've exhausted ourselves in the War on Terror for the better part of two decades."

 **McAdams** : "There will be some who will oppose your pull-back from our international basing posture..."

 **Ladyhawk** (interrupting): "Let them." (beat) "Three generations of Americans bled and exhausted themselves as the World's Policemen, first against Communism, then against radical Islam, for *precious* little thanks and acknowledgement from the rest of the World Community. It's past time that they learn how to take care of themselves."

 **McAdams** (beat): "That's not going to be a popular policy with most of this building."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Which is why I will be coordinating with you, the Defense Department, and the Joint Staff to see how disengagement can best be accomplished."

 **McAdams** : "If at all."

 **Ladyhawk** : "There is that possibility, too."

(McAdams' eyebrows raise in astonishment)

 **Ladyhawk** (continuing): "And if that's the case, General, I expect rigorous proof as to why. Not like what I've been getting from the CIA during my transition."

 **McAdams** : "You'll have it, Madam President."

(by this time, they've reached one of the Pentagon's entrances. The VTOL 'Marine One' can be seen waiting on the pad to take Julie back to the White House. She turns to General McAdams and hits him with one of her famous and ridiculously-photogenic smiles that were so popular during last year's Presidential campaign)

 **McAdams** : "I have to say, Ma'am, that working with you will be a refreshing change of pace!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Excellent." (beat, shakes his hand) "Stay honest with me, General. It's important to me that my workers feel confident to tell me if I've got something wrong."

 **McAdams** : "I will, Madam President."

(followed by her Secret Service detail, she exits the Pentagon and bounds off toward Marine One)

 **McAdams** (internal monologue): [[especially since you've read me SO wrong]]

* * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, Lakewood Village, TX. After work, one month after Julie's inaugaration)

(Jackie 'Arachne' Drake walks into the Master Bedroom, followed by Nathan 'Relativity' Hawkins. Both are taking off their business suits)

 **Arachne** : "One month and this still seems so wrong."

 **Relativity** : "What does?"

 **Arachne** (sweeping her arms around the bedroom): "This, Nate! For as long as I can remember this room has been your *parent's* bedroom!"

 **Relativity** : "It's our bedroom now."

 **Arachne** : "Sharing a bedroom doesn't equal sharing a life."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Relativity** : "We've been over this before, Jackie. We'll marry when the time is right."

 **Arachne** (hotly): "And when's THAT going to be, Nate? My parents aren't the only ones asking some very awkward -- and *pointed* -- questions about us!"

 **Relativity** : "We're superheroes! We can't put our own needs ahead of others..."

 **Arachne** : "Yes, we can!"

 **Relativity** : "My parents didn't."

 **Arachne** : "And *how* many times did either one of them ALMOST die before they did?"

(there is a discreet throat-clearing from the entrance to the Master Bedroom. Elisabeth Marter stands in the doorway)

 **Elisabeth** : "If you wish to carry on your argument in more civilized surroundings, tea is waiting in the Nook." (beat, over her shoulder) "It may still be hot by the time you're done in here."

(awkward pause)

 **Relativity** (looking down and away): "Thank you, Elisabeth."

(she nods and walks primly off toward the kitchen)

 **Arachne** (looking down and away herself): "Where'd you find her?"

 **Relativity** : "I didn't. Shina did before leaving for Washington with Mom and Dad."

 **Arachne** : "I never thought anyone could be more intimidating than Shina every time I came over." (beat) "Then you hired Elisabeth and Ian."

 **Relativity** : "Yeah." (beat, puts an arm around Jackie's waist) "Shall we?"

 **Arachne** (reciprocating Nathan's hold): "We don't want to *really* irritate our retired SAS cadre now, do we?"

(they laugh as they leave the bedroom. By the time they are in the Breakfast Nook. Ian Sladen walks in from the Garage)

 **Ian** : "Problems, luv?"

 **Elisabeth** (pointedly looking at Nathan and Jackie as they sit down): "Not any more."

 **Ian** : "Good."

(he walks into the kitchen while Elisabeth turns the TV on in the Breakfast Nook. Beat, while they watch the bottom crawl on CNN)

 **Arachne** (watching the newscast): "My god, everyone's STILL wrapped around the axle about your mother closing the IRS!"

 **Relativity** : "Because she did it or because of HOW she did it?"

 **Arachne** (laughing): "Pulling the fire alarm, then chaining all the doors shut after the building was evacuated? And all these years, I thought your *father* was the crazy person in your family!"

 **Relativity** : "After the excesses of the last decade, it needed to be done."

 **Arachne** (looking at the bottom crawl describing a lawsuit to re-open the IRS): "Not without a fight, it seems."

 **Relativity** : "Huh. Looks like Congress made good on their threat to fast-track a lawsuit to force Mom to re-open it."

 **Arachne** : "So she'll have to re-open it, then?"

 **Relativity** : "She can appeal a decision against her all the way to the Supreme Court."

 **Arachne** : "But what if the Supreme Court finds in favor of Congress?"

 **Relativity** : "If she defies THAT, Congress will have no choice but to impeach her."

 **Arachne** (beat, small voice): "Oh, crap."

* * *

(UNTIL HQ, New York City. After Lunch, two months after Julie's inaugaration)

(Ted 'Ranger' Jameson walks into his office after Lunch. He only makes it halfway to his desk from the door)

 **Figure in Shadow** : "You took your time, General."

(Ted stops dead in his tracks)

 **Ranger** : "Only one other person ever did that to me without using teleportation. She's busy down in DC these days."

 **Figure in Shadow** : "We'll talk about the President later."

(Ted finally has a better glimpse of the intruder. He is middle-aged and powerfully-built)

 **Ranger** : "If you had meant me harm you would have done so already."

 **Figure in Shadow** : "True."

 **Ranger** : "You wouldn't happen to have a name, would you?"

 **Figure in Shadow** : "The Champions of Millenium City once called me Nighthawk."

(beat, then Ted steps around his desk and motions toward one of the chairs in front of it. Nighthawk limps into better lighting. He is not wearing a mask but is wearing dark and utilitarian clothes. Scars criss-cross one side of his face)

 **Ranger** : "Obviously, you staged your own death 10 years ago. Was there a reason for that?"

 **Nighthawk** : "I was inspired by the rumors of an off-the-books team of superheroes which was going after Doctor Destroyer. I felt a similar approach was needed against VIPER."

 **Ranger** (musing): "That would explain a lot of the setbacks they suffered up around Millenium City before PRIMUS was disbanded."

 **Nighthawk** : "They weren't set back enough."

 **Ranger** : "Why would you say that?"

 **Nighthawk** : "Because the most frightening thing I have discovered over the past 10 years is just how deeply *all* the institutions we have taken for granted all our lives have been penetrated by VIPER."

 **Ranger** (beat): "You're sounding like a conspiracy theorist, now."

 **Nighthawk** : "I wish I was."

 **Ranger** : "As Director-General of UNTIL, I'm aware that VIPER has all but controlled Western European business since the end of World War II, the Federation that's been attempting to rebuild the plague zones of West Africa for two years, and the Mideast oil fields since last year. What can you *possibly* add to those facts that will shock me?"

 **Nighthawk** : "In America alone? Control of Higher Education. Control of Media. Control of Religion. Control of the Federal Government." (beat) "Control of both the Republican and Democratic Parties."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Nighthawk** : "Which makes it all the more curious that a former teammate of yours would not only expend her personal fortune to run for President, but also do everything in her power once elected to piss off ALL those sectors of American society!"

 **Ranger** : "Are you implying that I'm running President Hawkins as an op to take down VIPER?"

 **Nighthawk** : "No. I am implying that she is running her *own* op to take down VIPER. Correct?"

 **Ranger** (beat): "Correct."

 **Nighthawk** : "She does realize that she is using a nation of over 300 million people to play chicken with VIPER, doesn't she?"

 **Ranger** : "Her husband asked the exact same question two years ago when she confirmed her plans."

 **Nighthawk** : "Considering *his* past history with the United Nations, he is not one to talk about games of chicken on that scale."

 **Ranger** : "A point his half-brother made immediately after he said it."

 **Nighthawk** (eyes widening in shock): "That must have been some meeting!"

 **Ranger** : "You have NO idea." /* 'A Week at Davos' */

(awkward pause)

 **Ranger** : "Is that it, then? Is that why you wanted to see me?"

 **Nighthawk** : "I just wanted to confirm my suspicions before I DID tell you why." (beat) "Are you familiar with VIPER's use of quantum entanglement communications to prevent tracing?"

 **Ranger** : "Yes."

 **Nighthawk** : "Excellent. That drops two to five minutes more of exposition on my part."

(he produces a high-tech box and places it on Ted's desk)

 **Ranger** : "And this is..."

 **Nighthawk** : "A quantum entanglement detector. It can't trace communications, but it will tell you when you are close to one being made."

 **Ranger** (amazed): "I've seen quantum entanglement detectors before! They're huge..."

 **Nighthawk** : "And there are more tech geniuses in the world than just Tetsuronin and the First Gentleman." (standing up, leaving the detector) "As the President exerts more pressure on VIPER, they're going to communicate more and more with the Supreme Serpent. If I were you and wanted to bust as many snakes as possible before they bit the President, I'd be starting my search grid in the DC area immediately."

 **Ranger** : "Mr. Whitaker?"

(Nighthawk freezes in his tracks)

 **Ranger** : "Thank you."

 **Nighthawk** (beat): "Also, your staff needs to secure your emergency escape trunk better. After I leave."

 **Ranger** (annoyed): "Got it."

(Nighthawk vanishes behind a bookcase)

* * *

(The Cabinet Room, West Wing, the White House. Three months after Julie's inaugaration)

(Deputy DCI Clifford Ackerman walks into the Cabinet Room. Julie is the only other occupant of the room)

 **Ackerman** : "You wanted to see me, Madam President?"

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "Yes."

(beat, then she slides two tablets down to Mr. Ackerman)

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "It concerns the National Intelligence Estimate your office sent me last week concerning the situation around the Panay islands in the South China Sea."

 **Ackerman** (beat): "Was there something wrong with it?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "The tablet on the right contains the data which the CIA sent me. The tablet on the left contains data which I received from UNTIL at about the same time, covering the same situation in that area. Why don't you read through them both and tell ME?"

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "I can wait."

 **Ackerman** : "The CIA stands by what it sent you..."

 **Ladyhawk** (interrupting): "Then it's a good thing I went over your head and contacted the commander of the _Reagan_ battle group. HIS reconnaissance missions *confirm* the data from the UNTIL report!"

 **Ackerman** : "Madam President, I must..."

 **Ladyhawk** (angry): "YOUR report would have involved the United States in a SHOOTING WAR against China!"

(seemingly shaken, Ackerman pulls out a chair to sit down)

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "I didn't give you permission to sit down, Mister."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** : "And this is NOT the first instance of this happening since I took office, Mr. Ackerman! How do you explain THAT?"

 **Ackerman** : "If you wish my head for this, Madam President, I offer you my resignation."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Which, if my pick for Director of Central Intelligence wasn't being held hostage by Congress, I would wholeheartedly accept!"

 **Ackerman** : "If you reopened the IRS, that would solve your problem with Congress..."

 **Ladyhawk** (acidly): "If your political analysis is of the same quality as your international analysis, I can do without IT, too." (to the desk phone) "Smiley? Curly?"

(the two Secret Service agents enter, flanking Julie to either side, looking suitably menacing)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Please escort Mr. Ackerman from the White House."

 **Smiley** : "Expeditiously, Ma'am?"

 **Ladyhawk** (sighs): "Sadly, no. Professionally."

 **Curly** : "At once, Madam President."

(each taking an arm, the agents lead Mr. Ackerman from the Cabinet Room. Beat, then Julie buries her face in her hands)

* * *

(the White House. 6/15/2017)

(Bob is typing seemingly frantically at his laptop)

 **Ladyhawk** : "So what are you trying to tell me?"

 **Starforce** : "I have found multiple asteroids with precious metals over the past year which can be offered to entities holding our nation's national debt as collateral."

(shocked pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** : "What?"

 **Starforce** : "I can pay the American national debt. From resources which can be claimed from the Solar System's asteroid belt!"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat, amazed): "Show me!"

* * *

(Air Force Association Banquet, Las Vegas Convention Center. 7/12/2017)

(General McAdams is ushered into a side suite. Sir Edgar already occupies the most comfortable chair)

 **Essec** : "Be seated, General."

 **McAdams** : "Am I in trouble?"

 **Essec** : "Far from it."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Essec** : "Monroe McAdams, are you prepared to fulfull your oath to VIPER?"

 **McAdams** : "Since the day I was born, Supreme Serpent."

 **Essec** : "And you have done VERY well over the past three decades to get into a position where you can help VIPER so immensely."

 **McAdams** : "It's how my parents raised me."

 **Essec** : "And why they were placed in America following World War II." (beat) "Seventy YEARS of patience, breeding, and planning have gone into setting up these next few months."

(he slides a tablet across the table to General McAdams)

 **Essec** : "This is the American Phase of a project I like to call 'Operation Human Achievement.' Recent events have forced us to accelerate its timetable."

 **McAdams** : "President Hawkins and UNTIL?"

 **Essec** : "Yes."

(tense pause as he skims the tablet)

 **McAdams** : "What do you need me to do?"

 **Essec** : "When the American Phase starts, I need her mansion outside of Dallas destroyed."

 **McAdams** : "Based on its known defenses, that may need to be a nuclear strike mission."

 **Essec** : "That's not my problem. That's yours."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **McAdams** : "Understood."

* * *

( _Drudge Report_ , 7/31/2017)

(DEVELOPING -- MUST CREDIT DRUDGE REPORT) "In a 6-2 vote, the United States Supreme Court ordered the Hawkins Administration to reopen the Internal Revenue Service..."

* * *

(response of Julie Hawkins to the Supreme Court ruling of 7/31/2017)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Bite me."

* * *

(AP Breaking news, 8/2/2017)

"The House of Representatives has started impeachment proceedings against President Hawkins after she defied a court order to re-open the Internal Revenue Service..."

* * *

(VIPER World HQ. 8/29/2017)

(final briefing to the Supreme Serpent before Operation Human Achievement is executed)

 **Agent** : "Our plan starts with disrupting the Chinese financial system which has been sustaining the national debt of the United States."

 **Essec** : "How so?"

 **Agent** : "Through a sustained financial hack of the banks which have underwritten the American's national debt."

 **Essec** : "Chance of success?"

 **Agent** : "High. Of the 21 Trillion dollars the Americans owe to sustain their welfare state, most of that is owed to Chinese banks." (beat) "There is almost no chance of them coming up with the required collateral to pay their debt off."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Essec** : "Pull the trigger."

* * *

("The Chinese Financial Apocalypse", _Bloomberg.com_ , 8/30/2017)

'Chinese financial institutions called their loans to the United States national debt due today in a surprise move..."

* * *

("Space Saves the Day for America", _Ars Technica_ , 9/1/2017)

"An asteroid which Nobel Laureate and First Gentleman Dr. Robert Hawkins has moved from the Asteroid Belt to the Earth-Moon L-4 point over the past several months may save the United States from financial insolvency...

"...The asteroid, which possesses at least $10 trillion of rare metals, is being offered by the United States government to China as payment for its national debt..."

* * *

(The White House. 9/14/2017)

(Julie rounds the corner to the main entrance, speaking before she gets a clear look at the checkpoint)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Is this something to do with the immigration protests happening right now?"

 **Curly** : "The individual with the dog claims she knows you. I'm still not sure how she got through the protesters without getting hurt."

(Julie suddenly realizes she is looking at Heather 'Cateran' McGowrie, who is carrying a small and frightened black Scottish Deerhound puppy. Tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Ms. McGowrie is known to me. Let her in."

 **Curly** : "You are aware that she is a known supervillain with outstanding warrants in this country?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "She is an associate of my mother's family back in Japan. She means me no ill intent."

(shocked pause, held gaze)

 **Curly** : "Yes, ma'am."

(after a brief pause, Cateran and the puppy clear the security checkpoint)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Cateran): "You didn't have any problems getting through the protesters, did you?"

 **Cateran** (deadpan): "I haven't felt *that* safe since Altamont in 1969, lass."

(Julie misses the historical reference but picks up on Heather's sarcastic tone. She raises an eyebrow)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Well, you could have given me some advanced warning beforehand."

 **Cateran** : "And spoil the surprise?" (beat) "Yer entire family loved Baskerville!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Yes, we did."

 **Cateran** : "Ye'll love this one, too, lass. She's from the same lineage!"

(beat. The puppy whimpers slightly in response to how tense her day has been)

 **Ladyhawk** (petting the puppy): "You do know that my husband's a cat person, don't you?"

 **Cateran** : "He still liked Baskerville, though."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Not when he'd take Nerd-boy for a drag through the neighborhood."

 **Cateran** (smiling, presenting the puppy to Julie): "Then he'll love this one, too!"

(the puppy yips and licks Julie as she takes her)

* * *

(McAdams Residence, southeast of Leesburg, VA. Evening, 9/14/2016)

(General McAdams is on his computer)

 **McAdams** : "I had the bypass put in myself during her predecessor's administration."

(the image on the computer screen is deliberately pixellated, and the voice is going through a modulator)

 **Voice** : "Rather unconstitutional, don't you think?"

 **McAdams** : "It was there in the event he was unable -- or *unwilling* -- to respond to a nuclear attack."

 **Voice** : "Like Iran?"

 **McAdams** : "Let's not go there. I had North Korea in mind."

(there is an insistent knocking at the front door)

 **Voice** : "That can't be good. I'm calling the Leesburg safehouse."

(the window vanishes as General McAdams gets up. He surreptitiously grabs a VIPER blaster pistol from his desk as he does so)

(looking at the security system monitor by the front door monitor, he registers with alarm that it's a squad of UNTIL agents there. Tense pause while he composes himself, then he opens the door)

 **McAdams** : "May I help you?"

 **UNTIL Agent** : "Trevor Smythe, UNTIL. We have a warrant to search your house for VIPER equipment."

 **McAdams** : "Now see here! This is America, and you can't just come barging into here like some jack-booted thugs from a Hollywood movie..."

 **Smythe** : "Your nation's signature on the Martinez Treaty says we can, General. Now step aside."

(General McAdams is roughly muscled aside as the four agents move in and start searching. There is a tense pause while the agents fan out, then McAdams keys a quick sequence into the keypad of the security system before bolting outside)

 **UNTIL Agent 2** : "Sir, we've got a runner."

 **Smythe** : "Contact Cortes on the backup team..."

(this is all that Lt. Smythe has time to say, for there turns out that there was a VERY good reason General McAdams was running like hell. The McAdams residence vanishes in a *huge* explosion just as he dives into a nearby ditch for cover)

 **McAdams** (internal monologue): [[that went well]]

(after a moment, he picks himself up, pulls his smartphone out, and fiddles with it for a moment as he starts walking away from the burning remains of his house. After a minute, a two-seat VIPER air-cycle drops out of the sky, back seat empty)

 **VIPER Agent** : "Get on! I'll take you to Langley!"

(McAdams boards the air-cycle, and they take off again)

* * *

(VIPER World HQ. One hour later)

(Sir Edgar is speaking to his battle staff in emergency meeting)

 **Essec** : "Any updates from America?"

 **Agent 1** : "General McAdams is safe at Langley. The UNTIL attempt to arrest him failed."

 **Essec** : "How was he made?"

 **Agent 1** : "The general has always been *very* careful to hide his connections to VIPER. Based on equipment recovered from the remains of the UNTIL squad, we believe that they have been tracing our quantum-entanglement comm tech."

 **Essec** : "How long have they been capable of doing this?"

 **Agent 2** : "Based on UNTIL arrest patterns across the DC and New York City area, it is possible that they have possessed this capability since March."

(tense pause, while Sir Edgar seethes)

 **Essec** : "Overall status of Operation Human Achievement? Are we ready to start it?"

(general consternation among the battle staff)

 **Agent 1** : "You have got to be kidding me!"

 **Agent 2** : "The correlation of forces does not favor VIPER at this current time..."

 **Essec** : "It will favor VIPER even *less* unless we act NOW!"

(tense pause)

 **Agent 3** : "The amphibious strike being assembled along the coast of Algeria is ready to move on Europe."

 **Agent 4** : "Rioting by former ISIS refugees in Europe can start in one hour."

 **Essec** (musing, calmer): "I've always favored that variant on our attack against Europe. Show up as their saviors instead of taking the continent in a coup de main."

 **Agent 5** : "The impeachment proceedings against President Hawkins have stalled out. Articles of impeachment aren't scheduled to be voted upon until tomorrow at earliest."

 **Essec** : "Based on General McAdams' adventures tonight, we no longer have time to wait on the American political process to achieve what we need." (beat) "I believe you had a contingency in place to take down the Hawkins administration via more forceful means?"

 **Agent 5** : "Yes, Supreme Serpent, but the odds of it succeeding were never very good to begin with..."

 **Essec** : "Fortune favors the bold. Summarize that contingency for me."

 **Agent 5** (beat): "Very well. The Wildfire contingency of the American phase assumes a direct, all-out multiple-nest assault against the President and Vice President."

 **Essec** : "How many?"

 **Agent 5** : "Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Baltimore, DC-Metro, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke, and Raleigh-Durham. Those eight can be deployed throughout DC within 10 hours of the go-order."

 **Essec** : "No others?"

 **Agent 5** : "All nests north and east of Philadelphia will be needed for the attack on UNTIL Headquarters tomorrow to keep them from coordinating any international response to Human Achievement."

 **Essec** : "Very well. Assuming we achieve surprise, what are our chances of success?" 

**Agent 5** : "Difficult to say, Supreme Serpent. None of the nests detailed to the Wildfire contingency have been drilled on specific missions to perform during the assault..."

 **Essec** (interrupting): "What about the rest of the American Phase?"

 **Agent 6** : "Immigrant rioting has already started in all major American cities in response to the President's recent executive orders on immigration reform, and have had the desired effect on both law enforcement and superheroic response. We have full control over all national communications and stand ready to disrupt them on your order. The only remaining part of the American Phase's setup which did not occur was the destruction of the American economy via national debt default."

 **Essec** : "What of the planned nuclear strike mission against Dormyer Manor?"

 **Agent 6** (shocked): "Are you sure it's necessary, Supreme Serpent?"

 **Essec** (angry): "PRESIDENT HAWKINS has the most advanced teleportation unit in the entire GALAXY under her mansion! SHE CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO USE IT TO ESCAPE HER FATE!!"

 **Agent 6** (beat): "Yes, Supreme Serpent. General McAdams must be available to order the mission, since the Vice President's wife General Dewey will not do so herself."

 **Essec** : "So we have more than one reason that he should be allowed to live. Damn." (beat) "Japan? China? Central Asia?"

 **Agent 7** : "We have computer virii in place to paralyze the Japanese government and economy."

 **Agent 8** : "The situation in China still appears to be confused. The supervillain Yin Wu appears to be cooperating with the Chinese government to counter our manipulations of their economy, beyond what happened when President Hawkins offered them that asteroid as payment for America's national debt."

 **Agent 9** : "We have the Central Asian Space Force fully penetrated with virii. President Varinnikov will be impotent the moment you pull the trigger."

(tense pause)

 **Essec** : "Let this day be known to history as the day which the Snake takes its rightful place as the ruler of Earth." (beat, to the rest of the room) "The order is given. Commence Operation Human Achievement."

 **All Agents** : "Yes, Supreme Serpent."

* * *

(Presidential Study, West Wing, the White House. Late morning, 9/15/2017)

(Julie is talking to Ted in a holographic window hovering over her desk while Bob enters with a bottle of Dr. Pepper)

 **Ladyhawk** : "The CHAIRMAN of my Joint Chiefs of Staff is a VIPER mole?"

 **Ranger** : "He was caught red-handed using VIPER quantum-entanglement comm tech. BEFORE he destroyed his house and killed my agents with a self-destruct charge! I'm sorry, Madam President."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I saw the aftermath on all the morning newscasts. Tell me you have leads on where he went."

 **Ranger** : "VIPER covered their trail well. We're hitting known safehouses on the Virginia side of the Potomac."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Ted, he could be ANYWHERE in the Metro Area! Not just northern Virginia!"

 **Ranger** : "You think *I* don't know..."

(the window suddenly pixellates, then goes to gray static with the small message in mid-screen "SIGNAL LOST")

 **Ladyhawk** : "Computer, resume connection to Director-General Jameson!"

(tense pause)

 **White House AI** : "Unable to establish connection."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Is the problem at our end?"

 **White House AI** (beat): "All equipment on the local subnet checks out. I am unable to establish connections with any server outside the local subnet."

 **Starforce** (checking his smartphone): "That's not good. I've got no signal."

(there is an insistent beeping)

 **Ladyhawk** : "What is that?"

 **White House AI** : "Nathan Hawkins, from Lakewood Village, TX. Emergency channel"

(Julie's face scrunches up in confusion)

 **Starforce** (to Julie): "The quantum entanglement link to the manor."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Put him on."

(a holographic window opens in front of Julie, displaying Nathan from the Great Room of Stately Dormyer Manor)

 **Relativity** : "Mom, what's a Doomsday Protocol?"

(awkward pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** (flatly): "What?"

 **Relativity** : "The House AI started talking about a 'Doomsday Protocol' being invoked about a minute ago. Do you or Dad know what it's talking about?"

(Bob knows)

 **Starforce** : "Oh. SHIT!!"

(Julie looks at Bob. She is immediately alarmed by his current facial expression)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Nerd-boy? Unpack."

 **Starforce** : "Twenty years ago, when the Clintons really had it in for us because I was the Son of Doctor Destroyer, I implanted a virus into the computers at USSTRATCOM for our personal protection."

 **Ladyhawk** (slowly): "What. Did this virus. Do?"

 **Starforce** : "In the event a nuclear strike mission was ordered against Dormyer Manor, the virus redirected said mission to Washington DC."

(shocked pause, held gaze)

 **Starforce** (lamely): "I had no idea 20 years ago that you'd be the President of the United States..."

 **Ladyhawk** (shocked): "I think you need to go STOP that mission, Nerd-boy!"

 **Starforce** (alarmed, running for the door): "Ya THINK?!?"

* * *

(Vice-President's residence, Naval Observatory, Washington DC. One second later)

(USAF GEN Colleen 'Victory' Dewey enters the kitchen and kisses her husband, Vice-President DJ 'Golden Avenger II' Johnson as he enjoys a late breakfast)

 **Golden Avenger** : "Thought you'd be at work already."

 **Victory** : "Sofia wanted me to work at home today, same as you, because of the protests." (beat) "You saw the news about my boss, didn't you?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Was that the news report about VIPER blowing up his house I saw?"

 **Victory** : "That's not... *quite* what happened." (beat, unlimbers her tab) "Drudge Report, dear. Please be seated when you see the leadoff story."

(DJ calls up the Drudge Report app on his tablet. Awkward pause while he follows the link off that site)

 **Golden Avenger** (softly): "Damn." (beat) "And Julie LIKED him..."

 **Victory** : "Tell me about it! Lead pilot for the Thunderbirds, ace during the First *and* Second Gulf Wars..."

 **Golden Avenger** (menacing): "Deep-cover VIPER asset?"

(alarm klaxons go off across the residence. Secret Service agent Sofia Guiterrez appears instantly by both DJ and Colleen's side)

 **Golden Avenger** (to Sophia): "PROTECT OUR CHILDREN!"

 **Victory** (to Sophia): "NOW!!"

(Sophia didn't *need* two PRE attacks to hit her in order to suggest what to do in the face of the imminent attack on the Vice President's residence. She nods, draws her blaster pistol, and runs off for their children's bedrooms)

(BOOOOM!!!)

(the Breakfast Nook shatters under the force of the energy attack that hits it. As the VIPER VTOL sweeps in for a landing, Kristen 'Photon' Griswold hovers above it, glowing violently with energy)

 **Photon** : "I've looked forward to this day since you crash-landed our Shuttle at White Sands, Colleen! PREPARE TO DIE!!"

* * *

(West Wing, the White House. One second later)

(Julie's Secret Service Detail bursts into her study)

 **Smiley** (bursting into the President's study): "SWORDSTORM! SWORDSTORM! SWORDSTORM!"

 **Curly** : "The Vice President is under attack, Ma'am! We need to get you downstairs!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I'm about to be attacked HERE?!?"

 **Ghostbane** : "Short answer, Mrs. H? YES!!"

(the sound of pulson fire can now be heard from the South Lawn. Alarmed, Julie and the Secret Service detail see an irregular skirmish line of VIPER agents advancing on and tearing through the Secret Service agents and Park Police attempting to guard the White House)

 **Ladyhawk** : "I have a guest in the residence..."

 **Ghostbane** : "I already talked with Shina. She and Ms. McGowrie will meet you at the emergency command bunker entrance!"

 **Curly** : "Less talking, Madam President, and MORE MOVING?"

 **Smiley** : "Agent Kayami? Pick her up and CARRY HER!"

(Julie finds herself uncermoniously and gracelessly picked up and put over Jason's shoulder in a fireman's carry. Smiley slaps a button on the right side of the vestibule between the Roosevelt Room and the Oval Office, and a segment of wall pivots open into an emergency escape trunk)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Wait, WhaAAAAAAHH!"

(Jason jumps in. They fall for a second, then the sides of the escape trunk curve up and catch them like a water slide. Five seconds later, they both bounce off an air cushion next to a maglev tram)

(Curly appears, then Smiley)

 **Smiley** : "Adapted from pad escape technology from the Apollo era. GET HER ON THE TRAM!"

(the agents and Julie board the tram, which accelerates blisteringly down the tunnel)

 **Ladyhawk** : "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

 **Smiley** : "YES WE CAN, MADAM PRESIDENT!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "My job is to defend our nation..."

 **Curly** : "Ours is to keep you safe!"

 **Ghostbane** : "You can't defend the nation if you're dead, Mrs. H!"

(the tram slams on the brakes and comes to a halt in a display of excessive g-forces.)

 **Smiley** : "GO GO GO!"

(the party exits into a basement sub-corridor. Shina Arikawa and Cateran are already waiting for them. Alarmingly, Shina is reloading her Desert Eagle)

 **Shina** : "We do not have much time, Julie-san. VIPER agents have overrun the upper floors of the East Wing!"

 **Ladyhawk** (walking up to the biometric lock behind Cateran): "Starting to overrun the West Wing, too. Tell me something I DON'T know..."

(the lock beeps, and the door slides ponderously open)

 **Smiley** (indicating the command bunker): "IN. NOW."

(there is an explosion at the far end of the corridor. VIPER agents begin to stream around the corner, drop, and take aim at them)

 **Ghostbane** : "PORT OUT! WE'LL BUY YOU TIME!!"

(Jason throws the women into the command bunker and shuts the door. Beat, then the sound of explosions and blaster fire can be faintly heard from the other side)

 **Ladyhawk** (tears in her eyes, to her smartphone): "House? Portal to home, these coordinates."

(as the portal shimmers into existence, something approximately the size and mass of Ghostbane hits the other side of the door HARD following the THUMP! of an explosion. The door bends but does not break)

 **Cateran** (grabbing Julie): "Come ON!!"

(the women dive through the portal)

* * *

(Vice-President's residence, Naval Observatory, Washington DC. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(segment 2, effective DEX 33. Victory targets the VIPER VTOL in an attempt to reduce the number of targets that will be shooting at her and her husband. 18d6 Blast area effect puts 12 BODY on the VTOL. It staggers in mid-air and begins to fall out of the sky)

(DEX 30. Golden Avenger II wins the roll-off against Photon. He grabs the table off which he had been eating his breakfast a moment ago and hurls it at Photon, hitting her for 32 STUN after defenses. Photon falls out of the sky, CON-stunned, and takes 25 more STUN upon impact with the ground in front of the Naval Observatory, which knocks her out)

(Segment 3. Gunports open up on the port side of the VTOL before it hits the ground in a rougher-than-intended landing. The squad firing VRD-3B Brickbreaker rifles hits the hex Golden Avenger is running through twice, draining a total of 30 STR from him after defenses)

(Victory has problems of her own right now, in the form of 4 air-cycles, 2 of which have just strafed her with their armor-piercing autoblasters without hitting)

(Segment 4, effective DEX 33. Victory tags one of the air-cycles that just attacked her with an 18d6 APx1 blast for 10 BODY. Its pilot catches its tumble before losing control, but its power supply is now sparking erratically)

(DEX 30. Another air-cycle has finished its strafing run just a little too close to the ground. The Golden Avenger takes a running leap while he still has STR and successfully grabs its fuselage)

(DEX 15. The two air-cycles that held their action in Segment 3 now open fire on Victory. Both miss)

(Segment 6, effective DEX 33. Victory now notices two more squads exiting the VTOL. She targets the nearest one with an 18d6 APx1 4m area of effect blast and hits right in the middle for 13 BODY and 58 STUN. The squad is down and dying)

(DEX 30. The Golden Avenger flips his body over the fuselage of the air-cycle on which he is hanging on and hits the pilot for 6 BODY and 46 STUN. Unconscious, the pilot is knocked off of the air-cycle)

(DEX 15. The remaining squad of VIPER agents is now out of the VTOL and starts firing at Victory, joined by the three VIPER-controlled air-cycles. More armor-piercing blaster bolts stream at her without hitting, but due to the intensity of fire now coming from multiple directions, it's only a matter of time before someone gets lucky)

(Segment 7, DEX 30. The former F/A-18 pilot in the Vice President takes over. He yanks the air-cycle hard onto a course for the VTOL and strafes it for a total of 7 BODY. Its onboard power cells, not doing so well from Victory's initial attack and the roughness of the resulting landing, finally fail under the air-cycle's bombardment. The resulting explosion takes out the two remaining squads using the VTOL as cover)

(the three remaining air-cycles immediately go into overdrive and fly away from the Naval Observatory grounds toward the National Mall. Both the Golden Avenger and Victory can now see what appears to be smoke rising from the vicinity of the White House)

 **Victory** : "I think we need to get to the White House!"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Ya THINK?!?"

* * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II. One minute later)

(grav-drones lead an antigrav pod into the Transporter Room as Julie strips out of her jacket and blouse. She is trying not to be shaken by what she has seen and been through)

 **Ladyhawk** : "House, open the pod."

(the pod opens, revealing Ladyhawk's armor, utility belt, mask, and katanas)

 **Cateran** : "Lass, I thought yer blades were in the Oval Office..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Cheap display knockoffs." (beat, looks at her armor, and sighs) "I never thought I'd have to wear these again after what happened in Japan two years ago." /* 'Mechanon, Inc.' */

 **Cateran** (smiling): "Ye thought ye finally grew up, lass?"

 **Ladyhawk** (suiting up): "Something like that." (to the ceiling) "House, any news updates from DC?"

 **House AI** : "Commercial and private comm traffic nation-wide is sporadic at best, except for one transmission originating from DC."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What is it?"

 **House AI** : "It appears to be USAF General McAdams broadcasting from the Oval Office to the nation."

(all three women look at each other, alarmed)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Pipe the broadcast in here."

 **House AI** : "Yes, Mistress."

* * *

(Oval Office, the White House. One second later)

 **McAdams** : "As some of you may know, UNTIL attempted to serve me with a warrant accusing me of working with VIPER. It was all an elaborate plan on VIPER's part to kill both UNTIL and myself in preparation for the mass attack which they launched on Washington, DC earlier today. I was lucky to escape with my life; the brave UNTIL agents who were at my place when the bomb went off less so."

(McAdams swallows nervously)

 **McAdams** : "Because of how I was forced to spend my night, I would love nothing more than to fight back against this heinous assault against the American government, against the organization which so blatantly attacked and killed both the President and Vice President this morning in cold blood. Unfortunately, VIPER holds too many people across the DC area hostage. I have been informed before going on the air that they have set an atomic bomb up in the Washington Monument and will set it off if we do not hand over control of the Federal Government to VIPER."

(shocked pause)

 **McAdams** : "This goes against every fiber and instinct that has been instilled in me during a 33-year military career, but there are too many innocent lives at stake." (beat) "As of this moment, being the only authority figure available in the Washington DC area, I announce the surrender of the United States to VIPER."

(beat, anguished expression on his face)

 **McAdams** : "May God have mercy on all our souls."

(tense pause, then the red light on top of the TV camera goes off)

 **Technician** : "You're off the air, General."

 **McAdams** : "Thank god. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep faking the sincerity."

(the VIPER agents in the office with him laugh)

 **McAdams** : "Status on finding President Hawkins?"

 **Agent 1** : "Last seen entering the emergency command bunker under the East Wing five minutes ago with her social coordinator and a visiting house guest tentatively identified as the supervillainess Cateran. We took heavy casualties forcing the door, but they were nowhere to be found inside."

 **McAdams** : "So she used her magic teleporter. Not that it will matter in half an hour."

 **Agent 2** : "Her Secret Service contingent gave their lives in order for them to escape. She will be unconstrained by their influence keeping her out of trouble."

 **McAdams** : "What are you saying?"

 **Agent 2** : "She may return here to mount a counterattack."

 **McAdams** : "Which would be believable if she were with her husband. Why haven't I heard status reports on HIM?"

 **Agent 1** : "Unknown."

 **McAdams** : "Find out. NOW."

* * *

(Subbasement level 1, East Wing, the White House. Ten minutes later)

(Ladyhawk, Cateran, and Shina step out of the portal, this time in front of the door to the Emergency Command Bunker. Shina has changed to shirt and jeans, her Desert Eagle's holster by her hip with a katana strapped to her back)

 **Shina** : "So what is Master Robert planning to do that involved continuous use of the portal for 10 minutes?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Probably something to do with disposing of the weapon targeted for the manor then re-targeted here."

(anguished pause as she steps over the bodies of Smiley, Curly, and Jason. The bodies of a dozen VIPER agents share the hallway with them)

 **Cateran** : "Are ye prepared to do what ye need to do, lass?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "I just wish I didn't have to kill that traitorous bastard. CLAIMING to surrender to VIPER for the good of the nation when he was working for them all along!"

 **Shina** : "Treason is the only constitutionally-designated crime which mandates a sentence of death, Julie-san."

 **Ladyhawk** (angry): "I know that!"

 **Cateran** : "He is VIPER, lass. How many times hae' they almost killed ye in 35 years?"

 **Shina** : "Remember your parents, Julie-san." (beat) "And your protection detail."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** (opening the door to the maglev): "Let's go, guys."

* * *

(30,000 feet over West Virginia, roughly between Moorefield and Wardensville. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(Starforce is frantically searching for the B-2 flying the nuclear strike mission)

 **House AI** (over link): "Seismic probes have been seeded throughout the planned initiation site in the Mbang Range, master."

 **Starforce** : "Thank you. Now to find our bomber." (beat) "WHY did they have to use a B-2 for the mission?"

 **House AI** (over link): "You are asking me to speculate on insufficient data, master."

 **Starforce** : "Thank you, House, but that was rhetorical." (internal monologue) [[c'mon, Bob! It's 5 minutes until they start their bomb run!! It's GOT to be here somewhere...]]

(tense pause as Starforce flits from eastbound plane to eastbound plane, trying to find the bomber)

 **House AI** : "Master, I have picked up a report from a northbound Delta flight concerning a bat-winged UFO near your position!"

 **Starforce** : "BINGO! Plot me an intercept vector!"

(the immersive VR immediately responds with a course track bearing off to his right)

* * *

(B-2 'Spirit of Kansas', thirty seconds later)

(the weapons officer looks out of his cockpit window)

 **WSO** : "I don't know, Jack. First, we're asked to take out a supervillain site in the Dallas Metropolitan Area."

 **Pilot** : "I don't like it either, but that's our mission."

 **WSO** : "But there's a superhero team in the Dallas area. Shouldn't THEY be taking it out?"

 **Pilot** : "Maybe they got taken down. Concentrate on the mission, Mark."

 **WSO** : "I'm trying, but it's hard to do when for the past hour the sun angle's been all wrong for the compass heading we're flying!"

 **Pilot** : "The navigation system checks out."

 **WSO** : "Remember that it glitched right after takeoff when it synched up with GPS."

 **Pilot** : "For what it's worth, I'm nervous too. Status."

 **WSO** (looks at his displays): "Still a green board." (beat) "What I've been able to see of the ground for the past several minutes resembles the Appalachians and not the South Central Plains."

 **Pilot** : "I believe that we *are* coming in over the Ozarks..."

(there is a THUMP!! of something hitting the top of the bomber)

 **WSO** : "What the HELL was that?!?"

(there is the sound of footsteps across the upper fuselage, then Starforce leans over the cockpit windows and knocks before pantomining a phone next to his helmet)

 **Pilot** (switching radio to guard frequency): "Uh..."

 **Starforce** (over radio): "About TIME you picked up your damn phone!"

 **Pilot** (incredulous): "What do you want?"

 **Starforce** (over radio): "I have need of your plane and armament elsewhere. I'm sorry, but I need both of you to eject NOW."

 **Pilot** : "Now hold on..."

 **Starforce** (over radio, interrupting): "You can do this under your own power, or I can punch my way in and throw you both overboard myself. One way or another, you're LEAVING this airplane!"

* * *

(VIPER World HQ. Five minutes later)

(an agent is briefing the current status of Operation Human Achievement to Sir Edgar and his battle staff)

 **Briefer** : "Communications disruptions across America happened on schedule. Their National Command Authority is blind, deaf, and dumb. General McAdams has completed his address to the nation."

 **Essec** : "And what of the strike against Dormyer Manor?"

 **Briefer** : "Weapons initiation should be right about..."

(without knowing how it happened, Sir Edgar finds himself down on the floor underneath the conference table. The floor heaves uncontrollably, like a stormy sea while a horrible roaring fills the entire HQ complex. Lights explode in showers of sparks throughout the conference room)

(tense pause while the floor eventually stops heaving and bucking and emergency lighting reasserts itself in the conference room)

 **Essec** : "What the HELL was that?"

 **Agent** : "Unknown, sir!"

 **Essec** : "FIND OUT!!

 **Agent** : "Yes, Supreme Serpent!"

* * *

(Oval Office, the White House. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(General McAdams is sitting at the Resolute Desk, a VIPER autoblaster laying on it within easy arm's reach)

 **VIPER Agent** : "So far, the governors of New York, Connecticuit, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey have declared their allegiance to VIPER following your broadcast."

 **McAdams** : "Anyone else?"

 **VIPER Agent** : "The governor of Texas' response was energetic but physiologically impossible."

(McAdams snorts in amusement)

 **VIPER Agent** : "The governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Indiana, while less scatalogical, were equally defiant."

 **McAdams** (disgusted): "Oh, great. A civil war. NOT what I wanted to *happen*!"

 **VIPER Agent** : "It is, however, *precisely* what VIPER needs. America paralyzed while Operation Human Achievement starts!"

(McAdams' cellphone rings. He recognizes the number and takes the call)

 **McAdams** (to cellphone): "Status?"

 **Cellphone** : "We have an armored brigade in front of the White House."

 **McAdams** : "Do they have any opposition?"

 **Cellphone** : "A brigade of the 82nd Airborne has been forming up around the Washington Monument."

 **Mcadams** : "Hit them hard, hit them NOW. Keep them from attacking here!"

 **Cellphone** : "Yes, sir."

(McAdams puts his phone down on the Resolution Desk, the looks out the windows of the Oval Office to the South at the armored VIPER brigade guarding the White House)

 **McAdams** (murmured): "NOT how I envisioned this day occurring..."

(he suddenly registers that he is hearing blaster fire elsewhere in the West Wing, increasing in volume and intensity)

 **McAdams** : "What the HELL is it now."

 **VIPER Agent** : "Unknown."

 **McAdams** (angry): "FIND OUT!"

(the VIPER agent leaves, shutting the door behind him. Tense pause as the sound of blaster fire gets closer and is now mixed with the THUMP! and shaking of internal explosions as well as screams. Alarmed, he grabs the autoblaster)

(the north door to the Oval Office flies off its hinges at the hands of Cateran's haymaker. Ladyhawk in full kit, Cateran, and Shina stride into the Oval Office. There is blood on both Cateran's bastard sword and Shina's katana)

 **Ladyhawk** (voice ringing): "Monroe McAdams! As President, I find you guilty of the capital charge of Treason against the lawfully-elected government of the United States. Your sentence is death. Do you have any last requests before I execute sentence?"

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **McAdams** : "Yes."

(his autoblaster whips up to aim at Ladyhawk just as she throws an energy shuriken at him. Both Shina and Cateran dive to either side of the door)

 **McAdams** : "DIE!!"

(The Oval Office is filled with searing, actinic light that blinds everyone not possessing Sight Flash Defense for several seconds. The staccato sound of high-intensity pulson autofire fills the room)

(As Cateran's and Shina's vision clear, they see Ladyhawk now on the far side of the shot-up Oval Office, facing away from them. She is kneeling, holding both of her katanas spread out like wings, and soaked with blood)

 **Shina** (horrified): "Julie-san! No..."

 **Cateran** (holding Shina back): "It's not hers!"

(General McAdams stands frozen in place in the middle of the Oval Office, facing away from Ladyhawk with a dull look of surprise on his face. The ruined halves of his autoblaster drop from his hands as arterial blood spurts from the wound that nearly decapitated him. He falls to his knees, then face-first to the carpet, *very* dead)

(shocked pause)

 **Ladyhawk** (slowly standing): "Shina?"

 **Shina** : "Yes, Julie-san?"

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "My blades need cleaning."

 **Shina** : "At once."

(as she leaves to find something to wipe off Ladyhawk's katanas, Cateran steps over the General's still-bleeding corpse and puts a hand on Ladyhawk's shoulder. Ladyhawk is beginning to tremble as the adrenaline wears off)

 **Cateran** : "Ye did what ye had to."

 **Ladyhawk** (softly): "Doesn't make it any easier."

(she turns her head toward Cateran. Cateran looks into her eyes, and for a moment sees not the President of the United States but a frightened nine-year-old girl boarding a plane for Japan with her)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Does it get any easier when you get older, Heather?"

 **Cateran** (shaking her head sadly): "It never does, lass. Never."

* * *

(The Ellipse. One second later)

(The Vice President lands the 'borrowed' VIPER air-cycle by some Bradley APCs on Constitution Avenue as Victory hovers over the landing zone. A gray-haired man in Army fatigues with two stars on his shoulders greets him)

 **Golden Avenger** : "Vice President DJ Johnson, my wife Colleen Dewey. How can we help?"

 **Army** : "Ron Malcolm, Army. My detachment was training at Quantico when VIPER made their move. Glad to have you, sir."

 **Golden Avenger** : "Status?"

 **Victory** (over radio): "VIPER's got an armored brigade between us and the White House. They've got those new Anaconda grav-tanks, and their agents are all dismounted from their APCs."

 **Malcolm** (squnting, looking toward the White House): "Who's the gray-colored superhuman with them?"

 **Victory** (over radio): "Darkstar. Supervillain from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, gravitic powers."

 **Golden Avenger** : "We've got to get through them..."

 **Malcolm** : "Against a force like that, Mr. President, we're gonna..."

 **Golden Avenger** (angry, to General Malcolm): "STOP CALLING ME THAT!!"

 **Malcolm** (holding his ground): "Sir, you saw General McAdams' broadcast from the Oval Office, didn't you? There's no WAY President Hawkins can still be alive!!"

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Victory** (over radio): "SIRS! INCOMING, FROM THE WEST AT HIGH MACH!"

 **Golden Avenger** : "Plane? Superhero?"

 **Victory** (over radio): "Superhero, VERY high energy readings! Too small to be a plane..."

(beat, then DJ's eyes grow wide)

 **Golden Avenger** (to Malcolm): "General, we're falling back and forming a defensive perimeter at Constitution Avenue!"

 **Malcolm** : "Excuse me?"

 **Golden Avenger** : "That's STARFORCE inbound! What do you think is gonna happen if he finds out his wife's really dead?"

(now it's General Malcolm's turn to look shocked)

 **Malcolm** (to the comm techs): "All units, fall back and form a defensive perimeter on Constitution Avenue! NOW!!"

* * *

(The Ellipse. One second later)

 **/* suggested music** : "The Wolf", by Hi-Finesse. There's a reason I'm using Doctor Destroyer's old theme music power-up */

(a shooting star falls out of the sky and makes a thunderous three-point landing north of Constitution Avenue with his fist in the ground. The sonic boom of Starforce's descent into the National Mall sweeps across both the Army falling back south behind him and VIPER gathered in front of the White House)

(inside Starforce's helmet, the house AI has helpfully tagged Darkstar and provided several virtual windows displaying known offensive and defensive powers. He switches briefly to "Detect Energy" and his eyes widen)

 **Starforce** (internal monologue as he stands): [[Nathan WASN'T kidding about that ZPE belt of his!]] (beat, smiles) [[how can he *wear* that thing when it's on the verge of overloading all the time?]]

( [music starts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xf3aPd2sSk) )

 **Darkstar** (to the VIPER agents): "I've got this." (to Starforce) "Your son and daughter are so easy to beat, I have to wonder just how far the nuts fell from the tree?"

 **Starforce** (forcefield rippling): "I seriously do not have TIME for this *shit*."

 **Darkstar** (firing gravitic punch): "Me, neither."

(24d6 TK punch wings Starforce for only 3 STUN. Starforce half-move flash-steps behind Darkstar and hits with a grab, wrapping his left arm around Darkstar's throat while grabbing the buckle of Darkstar's ZPE belt with his right gauntlet)

(segment 3, DEX 30. Starforce 30d6 TK Offensive Strike destroys Darkstar's ZPE belt. It starts crawling with increasing amounts of static electricity as it begins to overload)

 **Darkstar** (panicking): "YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

(segment 4, DEX 30. Without his ZPE belt, Darkstar now has to spend his entire phase trying to reallocate his Gravitic Powers pool in a desperate attempt to keep the remains of his belt from exploding)

 **Starforce** : "Only what my children did the last *two* times they beat YOU!"

(segment 5, DEX 30. A pushed 32d6 TK Offensive Strike sends Darkstar flying toward the Washington Monument and out of the immediate battle in the Ellipse. Everyone will either be too paralyzed with fear or too busy retreating or too busy dying in the next few seconds to pay attention to just another explosion on the Mall this day)

(the VIPER Anacondas that have been holding their action during Starforce and Darkstar's battle now take that action. Pulson bolts (5d6 RKA APx1) whistle all around Starforce as he now stares at the armored brigade between him and the White House)

(segment 6. Starforce flash-steps into the middle of the tank formation. 30d6 TK Martial Throw tosses one Anaconda into another, destroying both)

(segment 8, DEX 30. Starforce holds his phase.)

(DEX 15. The tanks immediately around Starforce are so focused on him that they pay no attention to what he's using as a backstop for their primary armament. Starforce takes his held action just as the massed tanks fire, flash-stepping straight up into the air. Four tanks manage to destroy each other)

 **Starforce** (internal monologue): [[that never gets old]]

(segment 9. Still in mid-air, Starforce raises his arms, the forcebeam emitters in each gauntlet now glowing in unfamiliar patterns. The debris from the six destroyed tanks below him stir, swirl into the air, and begin to surround him in a vortex of hyperkinetic shrapnel, moving faster with each passing second)

(segment 11. The vortex around Starforce grows in size and speed, the shrapnel now glowing white-hot with air friction. The remaining tanks closest to him are literally being flayed and eroded away. The less said about the dismounted VIPER agents, the better)

(The VIPER agents and Anacondas farthest away from the carnage attempt to retreat south away from the White House, a move which has not gone unnoticed by General Malcolm's brigade entrenched along Constitution Avenue)

 **Malcolm** (to his comm techs): "All units, hold at all costs! No VIPER units are to be allowed to escape from the Ellipse!"

(he stares at the Golden Avenger, expecting him to countermand his order. Tense pause, then DJ curtly nods)

 **Golden Avenger** : "If the President is truly dead, let her road to Valhalla be paved with the skulls of her enemies."

* * *

(the Oval Office. Half a minute later)

(Shina cleans Ladyhawk's katanas while Ladyhawk is in Cateran's arms. The shakes have just about dissipated)

 **Shina** (quizzically, looking up): "What is that roaring sound outside?"

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "The last time I heard something like that was in Awad..." /* 'The Jewel of Awad' */

(her eyes open wide, and she breaks her embrace with Cateran. Everyone looks out the Oval Office)

 **Cateran** : "What IS that?"

(a white-hot, almost molten-looking tornadic funnel spins drunkenly across the Ellipse chasing VIPER agents and vehicles, over 200 feet wide and hundreds of feet high. A glowing armored form can intermittently be seen in the top of the funnel, arms spread)

 **Ladyhawk** (small voice): "Oh, my God."

 **Cateran** : "Lass, is that yer *husband*?"

(blaster fire from unseen forces in the vicinity of Constitution Avenue appear to be keeping the VIPER forces from escaping to the south. The molten funnel eagerly consumes all VIPER forces, agent, vehicle, or tank, that it touches)

 **Ladyhawk** (grabbing her katanas from Shina while running past): "We have to get outside!"

 **Cateran** : "Ye must be DAFT, lass!!"

(in spite of her bout of sanity, Cateran finds herself following Ladyhawk to the nearest exit from the West Wing)

 **Ladyhawk** (screaming into her mask radio): "STARFORCE! STAND DOWN!!"

(the molten funnel continues its destruction of VIPER's armored brigade unabated)

 **Ladyhawk** (screaming into her mask radio): "NERD-BOY? I'M ALIVE!! STOP!!!"

(the molten funnel, having just consumed the last visible VIPER forces, glitches. A shooting star then accelerates from the funnel as it collapses over the southern third of the Ellipse, leaving a vast, metallic-looking mound of dirt behind)

(the shooting star stops in front of Ladyhawk, revealing Starforce. He pops his faceplate open)

 **Starforce** : "Ninjette?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "It's me!"

(beat, then he fiercely embraces Ladyhawk. Long, passionate kiss)

 **Starforce** : "I thought you were dead!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "It takes more than a coup d'etat to kill *me*, Nerd-boy! You should know that by now..."

(long pause, held gaze. They laugh)

* * *

(Emergency Command Bunker, underneath the White House. Six hours later)

(Ladyhawk, Starforce, the Golden Avenger, Victory, and MGEN Malcolm are discussing the aftermath of the day's events)

 **Ladyhawk** : "You're kidding me!"

 **Malcolm** : "I wish I was. I have multiple confirmations that General McAdams staged his assault on the White House and Naval Observatory from CIA Headquarters."

 **Starforce** : "The CIA helping the bad guys? This really *is* turning into a bad action-adventure movie..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I also have eight months of them feeding me intelligence in direct contradiction to what was made available to me from UNTIL. Several of which almost got us into various shooting wars across the world."

 **Golden Avenger** : "Okay, then. How do we hit them?"

 **Victory** : "F-22E Strike Raptors from the 1st Fighter Wing and Virginia Air National Guard. Quick. Surgical. One hour from the go-order."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Victory): "The order is given."

 **Victory** : "Yes, Madam President."

(Victory moves off to a more remote corner of the War Room to contact the people she needs to talk to)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Starforce): "Nerd-boy. General McAdams tried to nuke the manor. What happened?"

 **Starforce** : "I teleported the B-2 flying the mission to the Mbang Range of western Africa, roughly between the old border between Nigeria and Cameroon."

 **Malcolm** : "Why there?"

 **Starforce** : "My half-brother told me over two years ago at Davos that VIPER World Headquarters might be located there."

 **Malcolm** (beat): "Oh."

 **Ladyhawk** : "And?"

 **Starforce** (tapping at a keyboard): "I seeded the projected initiation site with seismic sensors before I ported the B-2 there."

 **Ladyhawk** : "So that's why we were delayed 10 minutes before we could counterattack..."

(the holotank in the War Room jumps, and now displays a mountain range with an elaborate network of corridors and rooms extending northeast-to-southwest. There is a flat space strongly resembling a runway immediately to the ridge's southeast)

 **Starforce** : "And look what I found when the B-2's armament initiated!"

(fascinated pause while everyone looks at the hologram)

 **Starforce** (continuing): "Only Tartatus in Kamchatka is more complicated than this." /* 'The Prisoner of Doctor Destroyer' */

 **Ladyhawk** (fascinated): "I was never convinced by Sergei's insistence that VIPER was headquartered here! I owe him an apology..."

 **Golden Avenger** : "So this is VIPER's headquarters. How do we take it out?"

(tense pause)

 **Ladyhawk** : "We still have nuclear bunker-busters in our inventory, don't we?"

 **Starforce** : "If we use them, we will never know for certain if we have killed VIPER's leadership."

 **Malcolm** : "And *that's* not worth the fallout and environmental poisoning that would result from the mission." (beat) "We're talking a 27-megaton subsurface strike!"

 **Ladyhawk** : 'We're going to have to land troops and STORM the headquarters?"

 **Malcolm** : "Boots on the ground, Madam President. It's the only way to be sure."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** : "How long will you need to plan a counterstrike?"

 **Malcolm** : "With your husband's intel? Six hours."

(expressions of sheer disbelief echo across the War Room)

 **Golden Avenger** : "That soon?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "You can't POSSIBLY be serious!"

 **Malcolm** : "War Plan Green has been drilled once every two years to my sure knowledge since it was first drafted in 2007."

 **Ladyhawk** : "It's the first I've ever heard of it!"

 **Malcolm** : "Speaking as someone once assigned to the Joint Staff, you wouldn't *believe* some of the contingency plans our military has in reserve."

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "Okay, then. What's all involved with War Plan Green?"

 **Malcolm** : "In the original version I drafted, I outlined three contingencies -- Ragnarok, Jormungand, and Mongoose. Ragnarok covered a VIPER takeover of the United States."

 **Golden Avenger** : "Which we all just lived through today."

 **Malcolm** (nodding): "Jormungand covered a VIPER takeover of a major power, with subcontingencies concerning western Europe, Central Asia, and the Far East."

 **Ladyhawk** : "What about Mongoose?"

 **Malcolm** : "Mongoose assumed that we knew where VIPER's world headquarters was located." (beat, nodding toward Bob) "Which thanks to your husband, Madam President, we now know."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Tell me more."

 **Malcolm** : "Mongoose starts with a continuous air attack by Air Force B-1's and B-52's, augmented by all cruise-missile equipped submarines that can get in range in time. While this is happening, the 82nd Airborne performs a combat drop in the area surrounding the headquarters, securing enough space around it to allow the 101st Airborne to land in force and form up a final assault."

 **Ladyhawk** (looking at the hologram): "Hm. Good thing there's a runway immediately southeast of the mountain containing their headquarters."

 **Malcolm** : "The thing that concerns me are the emergency exits out the other side of the mountain."

 **Starforce** : "Which I partially helped with when I disposed of the B-2 dispatched to Dormyer Manor six hours ago."

(Victory has returned from her phonecon with the 1st Fighter Wing)

 **Victory** : "Dr. Hawkins? That was a nuclear strike mission!"

 **Starforce** : "Believe me, I know." (beat) "By my calculations, I portaled the B-2..." (beat, leans forward to examine the hologram before pointing to empty space north of the mountain range containing VIPER's HQ) "...HERE. Assuming a B-83 gravity bomb set for 500 kilotons yield, the initiation should have taken out..." (spreads his hands through the hologram, leaving a red globe behind) "...THAT much of the northern face of VIPER range."

 **Malcolm** (leaning toward the hologram): "About half their exits?"

 **Starforce** : "Yep."

 **Victory** : "How do we take out the other half?"

 **Starforce** : "Leave that to me while the 82nd and the 101st get into position. I know *exactly* where they are now."

 **Golden Avenger** : "We have our endgame, now. How do we keep VIPER from discovering it?"

(tense pause)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Are communications still out across the DC area?"

 **Victory** : "Yes."

 **Ladyhawk** : "How do we keep them that way?"

 **Victory** : "Cellular comm and Internet we can keep disrupted for another 24 hours at best before it's back up. Radio and TV will require a more... physical touch to keep them offline."

 **Malcolm** : "Leave *that* to me."

 **Golden Avenger** (to Ladyhawk): "Ma'am, we have NO idea what's happening outside the Beltway right now! You might be needed to quell a civil war in the rest of the nation..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "We might not know what's happening right now, DJ, but neither does VIPER. Let's use that to our advantage!"

 **Starforce** (to Golden Avenger): "Just like the Mutara Nebula in _The Wrath of Khan_?"

(beat. The Vice President smiles)

 **Ladyhawk** (to the room): "War Plan Green, contingency Mongoose. The order is given."

(there is a chorus of "Yes, Ma'am"s across the War Room)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Now when do we start?"

 **Victory** : "For that area of Africa, tankers and bombers have to start launching by 1200 Eastern tomorrow."

 **Malcolm** : "1200 will be when the 82nd needs to take off from Fort Bragg."

 **Ladyhawk** (to Malcolm): "Then I will see you at Fort Bragg tomorrow at 1200, General." (beat, surveys the room) "We have our jobs, people! Dismissed!"

(there is a frantic scrabble as everyone leaves the War Room)

* * *

**EPILOGUE** : Ft. Bragg, NC. noon, 9/16/2017

(President Hawkins strides out in front of the 82nd Airborne in full superheroic kit. She waits for the applause and cheers from the troops to die down)

 **Ladyhawk** : "C-17 tail number 04-0025. Who is its pilot?"

(An Air Force LTC raises her hand)

 **Ladyhawk** (continued): "Your call sign for this mission will be 'Air Force One.' Log it."

(there is a gasp and a murmur of respect as the soldiers immediately catch the significance of what the President has just said)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Just in case some of us aren't clear on what we are about to do. As I speak to you, VIPER is attempting to take over the world, much as they just attempted to take over the United States these past two days. We're going to stop them."

(raucous cheering)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Some of us will not return from this mission. Rest assured that regardless of our fate, we WILL create a better world from our actions."

(silence across the soldiers ready to embark)

 **Ladyhawk** (continuing): "Wheels up in 20. Let's roll."

* * *

(excerpt from "The Eagle and the Snake" by Lucius Seger)

"...In one of history's supreme ironies, the very communications disruptions intended to blind President Hawkins to what VIPER was doing now began to operate *against* VIPER. They did not know that she had survived. They remained unaware of the waves of bombers and tankers that began to take off from American air bases heading toward Western Africa, or of the submarines on speed runs to launch positions in the Gulf of Guinea. And most critically to its survival, no word reached them of the fleet of aircraft and VTOLs taking off from Fort Bragg with their cargo of grim-faced soldiers -- an armada led by a transport bearing the radio call sign 'Air Force One.'

"VIPER had taken its best shot. Now it was Ladyhawk's turn."

* * *

(fin)

**Author's Note:**

>  **AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD** : For those interested in a scenario more realistically grounded in history, constitutional law, and sociology than the one I have just presented, [this draft paper](http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2802308) by Glenn 'Instapundit' Reynolds may be of interest to you.


End file.
